Inspired by the philanthropic activity of the Jewish-American Touro family in the late 18th Century, educator Dr Bernard Lander founded Touro College to "strengthen the Judaic tradition and serve the broader community" in 1971.
From enrolling 35 students, the college now enrols over 19,000 students across 30 schools and four countries, including, established in the 1980s, The Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, the School for Lifelong Education. In the 1990s, Touro University California and the School of Health Sciences and new campuses in Brooklyn and Manhattan was established. After the millennium, international sites in Paris and Berlin, coastal campuses in Los Angeles and Miami and Touro University Nevada, the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the College of Pharmacy in Harlem and New York Medical College, in Valhalla, NY were built.
Touro also operates an online university via Touro University and Touro University International.
Touro’s main campus in New York City has a total enrolment of 2,326, of which 1,031 are full-time and 1,295 are part-time.
Overall, Touro offers 153 graduate and professional degrees and certificates, programmes over a broad range of disciplines, including business, law, social work, Jewish Studies, technology, osteopathic medicine, nursing, occupational and physical therapy, and education.
Notable alumni include: Boyd Melson and Dmitry Salita from the world of boxing; educator Rivy Poupko Kletenik and, from the world of politics: Marc Alessi, David G. Greenfield and Kenneth LaValle.
